Electrically operated merchandising machines for delivering various articles at different prices have long been known in the prior art. An integral part of each of these machines is the coin mechanism which permits delivery of a particular article when a sum in money aggregating at least the purchase price of that article has been accepted by the coin mechanism.
Initially, all merchandising machines were designed to operate on standard line voltage of, for example, 120 volts. The coin mechanisms which were used with these machines, likewise, were designed to operate on 120 volts. In recent times, however, merchandising machines have been designed to operate at a reduced voltage of, for example, 24 volts. Correspondingly, the more recently developed coin mechanisms have been designed to operate at 24 volts. These later developed coin mechanisms moreover, have been designed to accommodate a much wider range of prices and a greater number of selections that are provided by the older coin mechanisms operating on 120 volts.
It is, of course, desirable that the newer 24 volt coin mechanisms be able to be used with merchandising machines designed to operate at 120 volts. Interfaces have been designed to permit the 24 volt coin mechanism to be used in conjunction with a 120 volt machine. In general, these interfaces are complicated and consequently expensive. For example, in one specific instance, the interface circuitry between the merchandising machine shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,838, with the 24 volt coin mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,839, has involved as many as seventeen relays and numerous resistors, capacitors and diodes.